Blue Velvet
by Mister Evil
Summary: A glimpse into Minerva McGonagall's experience with love at first-sight.


_Team_ / **Position** : _Ballycastle Bats_ / **Keeper**

Prompt: Minerva McGonagall

Word Count: 1,126

* * *

As a young girl, I'd always had it deeply rooted in my mind that there was a very black and rough line between people like my mother and I...and the rest of Caithness. This line began to feel more and more like a large cliff that I could only look down from at the others in our village and wonder about their lives.

"Of course, in many ways the Bible is very human..." My fathers voice droned on in the background of our silent church as he shared his ideas with the people through the bible. I did my best to allow my eyes an inconspicuous glance around the room to curiously take in each face. What were they thinking right now? Did they know witches and wizards existed?

"It was written by people whose personalities God did not obliterate..." Father's sermons were always a touch on the obtrusive side but somehow as a child I saw everyone at least once a week, at sermons much like this one. This village was faithful if nothing else. My eyes landed on the McGregor family pew and widened when I realised that their eldest son was watching me as well.

"The book is human, but ultimately, it's God's Book: the book God wants us to read in order for God to become real to us..." I jerked my head back roughly to stare even harder at the bible I'd kept open in my lap.

"Herrrhem" The slow creeping of a blush rose even faster as I recognized my mother's classic throat clearing. It wasn't that she actually wanted to clear her throat, rather it was a clear signal: 'Minerva, pay attention'. Suddenly my embarrassment of being caught jumped up and I could do nothing but stare as hard as I possibly could at my bible.

The sermon continued but I could do nothing but think about the handsome boy whose eyes had been doing the same thing as mine. Was he wondering what

I was thinking? If so, I wanted to tell him that I was thinking about him too. I searched through the memories of my childhood for information about the McGregors. They were a family of local farmers...I think they had two sons? Robert and...Dougal?

"Minerva...dear. It's time to mingle." A small hand brushed over the side of my head, startling me slightly until I realised it was just my mother. Oh, the sermon was finished?

"Of course. Sorry." I nodded my head roughly as I shut my bible and stood. I took a careful second to brush off anything that could have attached itself to my rear or back as velvet had a tendency to attract everything. Normally I'd have just whipped out my wand but I was back in my village of Muggles, I'd already graduated from Hogwarts.

Every time I'd considered using my wand I simply reminded myself that this was the last summer I'd spend here. This was the last time before I officially stepped into the magical world and took my place in the Ministry of Magic.

"Ah, Minerva!" I glanced up at the higher female voice to see Mrs McGloughlan.

"Good morning, Mrs McGloughlan." I smiled at her aged face before she bent down to give me a hug. She'd been my teacher up until I was 11, when my mother claimed I'd been sent to live with my grandparents in London.

"It's been so long. Where are your brothers? How was London? What're you going to do now?" Her accented stream of questioning made my smile only more sincere as I fondly remembered the days of learning Maths and struggling to read.

"They're still with our grandparents, and it was fun. Very busy though, and I've been offered a job in London." I answered each of her questions with a steady voice, noticing now just how odd I sounded compared to everyone here in my hometown. I think I'd actually lost quite a bit of my own accent.

"Really? That's quite a surprise." She seemed reserved now, looking a bit disappointed as she nibbled her bottom lip. I wasn't sure what was a surprise? My brothers had wanted to spend their summers in their friends homes. I'm sure it made my mother a little lonely...all of her children had chosen magic over living the Muggle life she'd chosen.

"I'd have thought you'd be back here and lookin' fer a husband by now." Her laughter was forced as she nodded to herself. A spike of some odd mixture of loneliness and a need to move towards the future struck me as I bowed my head.

"All in good time, of course. I ought to greet everyone, if you'll excuse me." I let a little curtsy and a small smile out as she continued to nod.

"Of course! Minister! Lovely sermon." She seemed to bound off towards my father with the energy of a woman much younger than forty. I let out a little sigh as I looked towards the rest of the room that was now filled with the soft sounds of conversations held in a lowered voice.

"Miss McGonagall?" I felt a jumped in my heart as a male voice grabbed my attention from behind me. I spun around to see the same boy I'd met eyes with earlier and coughed a little out of surprise as I tried to keep my voice clear and fiddled with the hem of my blue velvet dress.

"Ah...Mr McGregor." I nodded my head in greeting, trying to stave off the blush that threatened my cheeks. I'd never dealt much with boys during my school years and even though I was eighteen now, I was still the daughter of a Minister and a witch at that. I was starting to feel that I'd never get to deal much with boys at this rate.

He extended his hand which I shyly slipped my own on top of his, unsure as to what was going on. I watched his face turn a touch pink as a slow smile formed and his head bent down. My head tilted to the side out of confusion that lasted up until I felt his lips lightly graze the top of my third knuckle.

"Dougal is fine...if that's not too presumptuous. Miss McGonagall." A raging blush erupted over my face and neck at this point as his cheeks maintained a pink smile.

"Uh-Th-Thats..." I struggled to form a single sentence and cleared my throat warily as he let my hand go.

"That's fine as long as you call me Minerva, D-Dougal." I forced my face kept a demure expression despite the fact that I knew it had to be raging red right now.


End file.
